In the use of coaxial cable in outdoor environments, such as to connect homes and businesses with cable television service, it is common to provide a splice box or drop box with a threaded post and to connect a coaxial cable thereto using a threaded cable connector which is attached to the end of the coaxial cable. In making this connection, it is advantageous to provide for a weatherproof connection between the coaxial cable and the coaxial cable box. It is known to provide seals in the ends of the coaxial cable connector and the threaded post of the coaxial cable box to help protect the connection. It is also common to provide a deformable sealing sleeve for sealing the threaded post of the coaxial cable box to the connector nut at the end of the coaxial cable.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,074,818 of McMills relates to a method and apparatus for sealing a coaxial cable coupling assembly. This patent teaches the use of a hollow, cylindrically-shaped, elastically deformable sealing sleeve which is disposed over the external threads of the post of the coaxial cable box. The connector nut (of the connector) at the end of the coaxial cable is threaded onto the external threads of the coaxial cable box post and as it is threaded fully thereon, a portion of the cylindrically-shaped, elastically deformable sealing sleeve is forced outwardly over an external surface of the connector nut. In this way, the sealing sleeve of McMills, et al. is stretched and held in tension by the male threads of the coaxial cable box post and also by the external surface of the connector nut at the end of the coaxial cable. One disadvantage of this arrangement is that an air space is created adjacent the end of the connector nut. This air space allows moisture vapor transmission through the elastomeric sleeve in direct proportion to the volume of air in the space. Thus, it would be advantageous to minimize or completely avoid such an air space. Another disadvantage of the McMills '818 apparatus is that it can be difficult to thread the connector nut onto the threads of the post inasmuch as the sealing sleeve must be long enough to ride over at least a portion of the connector nut, requiring that the sealing sleeve cover all or almost all of the post's threads prior to installation of the connector nut.
Accordingly, it can be seen that a need yet remains for a connector sealing sleeve which effectively seals the connector nut at the end of the coaxial cable to the threaded post of the coaxial cable box, while minimizing or avoiding the creation of an air space to minimize vapor transmission through the seal, and which allows the connector nut to be easily and quickly threaded onto the male threads of the coaxial cable box post. It is to the provision of such a connector sealing sleeve that the present invention is primarily directed.